Your Moving Day Checklist

Key Takeaways

Things to do before you leave your current home

1. Begin collating a list of practical questions to ask the seller of your new home, such as ‘where are the meters?’, ‘when is bin day?’, ‘where is the stopcock?’ and ‘who is the utility supplier?’. Collate your questions leading up to moving day, so you don’t miss anything.
2. Book your removals team, whether this means getting professional help or organising a team of family and friends to lend a hand. The further in advance you do this, the better.
3. Make sure all boxes are labelled according to which room they belong in, so you know where to put them once you arrive in the new house. If you’re feeling especially organised, list the main contents of each box on the outside.
4. Write notes for the new owners of your current home and cover things such as parking restrictions and other required permits, bin collection days and anything else that will be of use.
5. Take gas and electricity meter readings at both your old and new homes to ensure they’re accurate when it comes to billing, and find out who the suppliers are in your new home.

Things to consider during the move itself

1. If you have children, make sure they have entertainment on moving day. Or, better yet, if they’re too young to provide meaningful help, enlist the help of grandparents or family friends to take them out for the day so that you can focus on the task at hand.
2. For peace of mind, consider moving any cash or jewellery yourself rather than leaving it to the removals company to look after.
3. Plan for at least one person to be home while the removals team is loading and unloading, so you can answer their questions on the spot. Make sure you have their direct contact details; in case you need to contact them while you are out on the road between addresses.
4. Once everything is out of your old house, take meter readings for gas and electricity, do one final clean and once-over to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything. If you’re moving out of a rented home, it’s a good idea to be there for the checkout to make sure your full deposit is returned by your landlord.
5. Consider any pets and whether they need to be looked after while the move goes ahead, or decide whether they are okay travelling to and from your new home with you.
6. Label the keys in your old home so that the new owners feel comfortable when they move in, making the process smoother for everyone.

When you’re in your new home

1. If you are moving into a new development, make sure you have site access. If unsure, check with the development manager prior to arranging the moving date.
2. When you arrive at your new house, check that the central heating, cooker and lights are in good working order. If there are any problems or questions, raise them immediately.
3. Before it gets dark, it’s important to check that there are lightbulbs in the house. If you are moving during winter, you might want to find out earlier in the process so that you aren’t left in the dark on the day of the move.
4. When your belongings have been unloaded, do a quick check to make sure nothing obvious has been damaged in transit. If there are any concerns, speak to the removals team immediately.
5. Keep an eye on the box which has the kettle, your mugs and tea bags in it, so that you can offer the removals team a drink while they’re busy lifting your belongings. They’ll be thankful that you do!

To make sure your moving day goes without a hitch, always prepare your checklist in advance. Stick it up on the wall or write it in a notebook, and refer to it as often as you can in the run up to moving day.

Perhaps even add the list onto your phone using apps such as Wunderlist, Google Keep or Evernote.